JANUARY 17, 2002

Frentzen and Arrows

WE understand that Heinz-Harald Frentzen is still waiting to find out if Prost Grand Prix is going to be in Melbourne. Frentzen has a deal to join Arrows if Prost goes out of business. However it is our belief that Prost has taken up his option on Frentzen and thus Heinz-Harald cannot get out of the deal unless Prost breaks the contract by being unable to send cars to Australia. The moment it becomes clear that Prost is not going to Melbourne (if that happens) Frentzen is free to move to Arrows.

This is bad news for Jos Verstappen, the Arrows team having confirmed Enrique Bernoldi only a few days ago. Verstappen was announced as an Arrows driver in the middle of last summer but it seems that he will be considered expendable if Frentzen is on the market. Theoretically a team cannot break a contract these days if the document is lodged with the FIA Contract Recognition Board but everyone in F1 knows that if a team tells a driver to go away and he is not protected with a contract which forces the team to provide him with a car, there is not much point in trying to argue.